Self-lathering shaver

ABSTRACT

A holder for a razor blade and guard is directly mounted on the valve stem of an aerosol lather dispenser can which serves as a handle for the shaver. The valve stem has a bore communicating with a fan-shaped passageway formed in the holder for feeding the lather to the skin along the length of the cutting edge of the blade and in advance thereof. Pressure exerted as the guard is stroked along the skin serves to tilt the valve stem and release lather from the can.

o United States Patent 1191 1111 3,726,009 Hackmyer 1451 Apr. 10, 1973 I 1 SELF-LATHERING SHAVER 3,133,680 5/1964 Sliwinski .222/40211 [76] Inventor: Saul A. Hackmyer, 2335 N E 3,343,201 9/1967 Cox ..222/402.1l X

172d tet,M'm'Bzh, 1. 33122 S r la 1 61c F a Przmary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Assistant ExaminerGary L. Smith [22] Filed: Apr. 12, 1971 Attorney-Erwin M. Barnett [21] App1.N0.: 133,108 [57] ABSTRACT [52] Us Cl 1 30/41 222/402 11 A holder for a razor blade and guard is directly 511 lnt cll .11111111111111 T155611 21/441365d 83700 mOhhted the valve Stem lather [58] Field of Search .1: ...30/41 415 dispense can which Serves as a handle for the Shaver- 222/402 1 1 40221, 40222, 6 The valve stem has a bore communicating with a fan- 251/205, 208, 209; 401/190, 264, 272 aped passageway formed in the holder for feeding I the lather to the skin along the length of the cutting [56] References Cit d edge of the blade and in advance thereof. Pressure ex- 1 1 erted as the guard is stroked along the skin-serves to UNITED STATES PATENTS tilt the valve stem and release lather from the can. 569,781 1( )/l896 Brown ..251/205 X a r 2,704,397 3/1955 Turgi ..30/4 x v 5 10 D'awmg Fgures 2,786,270 3/1957 Orlando ..30/41 SELF-LATHERING SHAVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to safety razors and aerosol lather dispensers and more particularly is directed to the novel combination of a safety razor blade holder mounted directly on the valve stem of an aerosol can for automatically dispensing lather from SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the objects of the invention is to provide a self-lathering shaver of the character described comprising few and simple parts most of which are of stan dard construction, widely used and, consequently, readily available at low cost, incombination with a novel blade and guard holder moldable in quantity production of a resinous plastic or die cast in metal, the

. parts beingreadily assembled with a minimum of labor.

Theinvention involves a shaver of great versatility adaptable for daily use in the home and also useful away from home as a disposable unit which may be dispensed in wash rooms, on airplanes, in hospitals, in hotels and motels, incorporated in travel kits, used by the military in the field, and by the ladies for shaving legs and under the arms.

A feature of the invention is the utilization of any of the conventional tilt-to-dispense valves in use on aerosol dispensers as the sole valve for the lather feed mechanism, eliminating the need for any other moving parts. The aerosol can serves as a handle for the shaver and the upstanding valve stem, having an axial bore I through which the lather is dispensed, directly mounts a holder which carries the razor blade and guard at the upper end thereof. The cutting edge of the blade is spaced inwardly of the leading edge of the guard and extends partly across-an elongated discharge opening from a passageway formed in the holder communicating with the valve stem bore. As the guard is pressed against the skin by pressure exerted through the handle in shaving, the valve stem is tilted to discharge lather through said opening and onto the skin in advance of the blade. .Various refinements are contemplated, for example, means for locking the valve stem against accidental tilting when the shaver is not in use and means for adjusting the size of the opening in the valve stem to control the flow of lather.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-lathering shaver constructed to embody the invention shown shaving a side of a face, a hand holding the shaver and the face being outlined in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shaver illustrated in FIG. 1 showing details of a shaving head comprising a holder and razor'blade and guard unit.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the shaver of FIG. 1 showing details as seen on line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a modified shaving head embodying the invention comprising a holder and blade.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 in FIG. 4 with the blade shown permanently mounted on the holder.

FIG.'6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing a shim positioned between the holder and a central prominence of the can cap for immobilizing the valve stem when the shaver is not in use.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 in FIG. 6 showing the shim in position on the valve stem.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing another means for immobilizing the valve stem in the form of a movable collar shown in full lines in raised, inoperative position and indicated in broken lines in a lowered and locked tilt-preventing position.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 in FIG. 8 showing details of the collar, and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view with parts in section showing the holder provided with a metering device for controlling the rate of flow of lather being dispensed.

' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring in detail to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, 20 generally denotes a self-lathering shaver, constructed to embody the invention, comprising an aerosol lather dispenser 21, a blade and guard unit 22 and a holder 23 for the latter, dispenser 21 being of any conventional construction to provide a projecting valve stem of a desired tilt-to-dispense valve capable of functioning in any position in which the dispenser may be disposed.

FIG. 3 shows a representative form of aerosol construction, well known in the art, and, therefore, not described in detail. Dispenser 21 generally includes a can 21a having contents C composed of well known ingredients for emitting shaving lather L through bore 25a of a tiltable or toggle action valve stem 25 of valve assembly 24. Valve stem 25 protrudes through a center opening in prominence 216 of cap 21b which forms the top closure for can 210.

Shaver 20 illustrates an embodiment of the invention contemplatingthe use of a blade and guard unit 22 shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,388,831

wherein razor blade 22a is embedded in a resinousplastic material, such as polystyrene, of which unit 22 is molded, to pre-fix cutting edge 22b in spaced relation to guard surface 22c for an optimum shave. Blade 22a also extends above and partially across an elongated slot 22d which is substantially the length of cutting edge 22b and serves as a port through which lather L is delivered to the shaving surface.

Holder 23 may be molded of a resinous plastic material similar to that of unit 22 and is suitable shaped and sized to support the latter at :a distance above the top of can 21a convenient for'manipulation and to spread lather L as it emerges from bore 25a for feeding through slot 22d evenly along the length thereof. Holder 23, being generally fan-shaped and relatively thin in cross-section, has a cylindrical bore 23a formed at the lower end of a thickened midportion 23b which extends the length thereof to upper surface 23f on which unit 22 is seated. Bore 23a is sized to be pressfitted onto the end of valve stem 25 and to position the bottom of holder 23 a spaced distance above prominence 21c to permit valve stem 25 sufficient freedom of movement for tilting. A triangular chamber or passageway 23c, formed in holder 23, communicates at its lower or apex end with bore 23a and at its upper or base end with slot 22d. To facilitate proper alignment of slot 22d with passageway 23c when assembling the parts and for strengthening the attachment of unit 22 to holder 23 which may be accomplished by ultrasonic bonding or other suitable means, a pair of lateral ears 23d are integrally formed to upstand from upper surface 23f of holder 23 at opposite sides thereof and project rearwardly to engage a pair of lateral notches 22e formed in opposite ends of unit 22/Likewise, a pair of spaced bosses 23e upstand from upper surface 23fas extensions of the rearwall of passageway 23c to engage registering recessed portions'formed in the under surface of unit 22.

The utility and operation of self-lathering shaver 20 will now be apparent. After blade and guard unit 22 is permanently mounted on holder top surface 23f as a unitary shaving head which is pressed onto valve stem 25 of aerosol dispenser 21 filled with lather producing contents C, as shown in FIG. 3, self-lathering shaver 20 is assembled and ready for use. Holding can 21a in the palm of the hand as the handle of any conventional safety razor, guard surface 220 is placed against the surface to be shaved with cutting edge 22b in shaving position. Additional pressure may thenbe applied to the handle thereby pressing guard surface 22c against said shaving surface which, in offering resistance, causes buckling, that is, tilting of valve stem 25 to dispense lather L through bore 25a. Lather L spreads out evenly as it completely fills triangular passageway 23c and then feeds in a broad stream evenly through the entire length of elongated slot 22d to be deflected by razor blade 22a onto the shaving surface in advance of cutting edge 22 b as seen in FIG. 1. As pressure is released, as, for example, at the end of a stroke which preferably should be short, the flow of lather L is im mediately cutoff by valve stem 25 returning to its normal upright closed position. Thereafter, normal shaving can readily accomplished, such as by repeated strokes over an area previously lathered, utilizing such pressure against the shaving surface as to'render a satisfactory shave but being insufficient to tilt valve stem 25. With very little practice the person shaving will become adept at applying just the right amount of pressure for dispensing lather L as desired.

It will also be apparent that shaver 20 has the added convenience of making lather L readily available for manual application.

Thus, by holding can 21 in one hand and pressing guard surface 22c against the palm of the other hand, valve stem 25 may be tilted to deliver lather L into the palm for application where desired.

FIGS. 4 and illustrate a modified construction of shaving head which, instead of the pre-formed unit 22,

utilizes a standard type razor blade 32 having a single cutting edge 32a and a pair of spaced alignment openings 32b. To this end the modified shaving head includes a plastic holder 33, which is similar to holder 23 in being fan-shaped and relatively thin in cross-section and having a cylindrical bore 33a formed at the lower end of a thickened midportion 33b and a triangular passageway 33c. Holder 33 is integrally molded with the front upper edge formed as a guard surface 33d and with a top ledge 33c extending rearwardly therefrom for mounting razor blade 32 thereon. A pair of spaced bosses 33f upstand from ledge 33a to register with and extend through blade openings 32b and to be spread in rivet-like fashion to permanently secure blade 32 on ledge 33e in proper position, namely, so that cutting edge 32a aligns with guard surface 32a for coaction therewith and also partially extends over elongated top opening or port 33g of passageway 33c in a manner similar to cutting edge 22b and elongated slot 22d of unit 22. A pair of nubs 33h may also be provided to upstand from ledge 33c, each nub 33h being located to shield a corner of cutting edge 32a against nicking the shavers skin. Holder 33, with blade 32 secured thereon as shown in FIG. 5 when mounted by press fitting cylindrical bore 3311 on valve stem 25 of an aerosol dispenser 21, will operate in the same manner as hereinbefore described for holder 23 fitted with unit 22.

A feature of the invention is the suitability of selflathering shaver 20 for use in toilet article travel kits and the like. In order to completely avoid accidental tilting of valve stem 25 resulting in the dispensing of lather L while shaver 20 is packed for travel, a locking means may be provided to immobilize valve stem 25. This may readily be accomplished, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, by a shim 26 having a cut-out central portion 26a to accommodate valve stem 25 enabling insertion between the bottom of holder 23 and prominence 21c of cap 21b.

A more elaborate locking means suitable for use on deluxe models of self-lathering shavers is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 wherein holder 43 is constructed similar to holder 23 or 33 except for an integrally formed neck 43d in which cylindrical bore 43a is formed communicating with triangular passageway 43c. Neck 43d may have an O. D. at least as great as that of prominence 21c and carries a snug fitting slidable collar 44 and a fixed radially extending pin 45 which engages an L- shaped slot 44a in collar 44. Collar 44, which is normally in the raised position indicated in full lines in FIG. 8 wherein valve stem 25 is free to tilt, is moved axially downwardly to surround prominence 21c and contact cap 21b in which position pin 45 is located in alignment with the transverse portion of slot 44a and collar 44 may then be rotated to lock in bayonnet fashion, as indicated in broken lines, thereby immobilizing valve stem 25.

Although the rate of feeding lather L may be controlled by the extent to which valve stem 25 is tilted and facility in this respect can easily be acquired to achieve satisfactory results, where a more positive adjustment is desired, the modification seen in FIG. 10 is contemplated. Modified holder 53 is similar to holder 23 or 33 with the exception of an integrally formed elongated neck 53d having a throat portion 53e formed at the inner end of cylindrical bore 53a adjacent triangular passageway 53c. Radially projecting thumb screw 54 threads through the wall of neck 53d in throat portion 53e for adjustably varying the effective diameter thereof.

Holders 23 and 33 illustrate embodiments of the invention utilizing a blade unit 22 and a blade 32, respectively, which are widely used and therefore are readily available in quantity and at low cost for assembly into self-lathering shavers which are intended to be disposed of when the lather is consumed. It is to be understood that, within the scope of -the invention, a

holder may be fashioned as a permanent device incor-.

porating any suitable means permitting replacement of the razor blade, as from a cartridge or the like, or designed to utilize a band type blade, and also be readily removable from valve stem 25 for replacement of dispenser 21 when contents C is consumed. Also, contents C may include ingredients for dispensing a hot lather.

The self-lathering shaver and the various modifications of its holder are seen to achieve the several ob jects of the invention and to be well adapted to meet conditions of practical use. As various possible embodiments might be made in this invention, and as various changes might be made in the disclosed constructions, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-lathering shaver comprising an aerosol can containing lather producing ingredients and having a tilt-to-dispense valve assembly including a projecting valve stem formed with an axial bore through which the lather is dispensed when thevalvestem is tilted, a shaving head mounted on said valve stem for movement therewith, said shaving head having a razor blade and 5 ing means coacting between said shaving head and canfor selectively immobilizing said valve stem to prevent the accidental dispensing oflather.

3. The self-lathering shaver defined in claim 2 in which said immobilizing means is a removable shim inserted onto the valve stem between the shaving head and the top of said can.

4. The self-lathering shaver defined in claim 2 in which said immobilizing means is. a collar carried by said shaving head movable from a raised inoperative position to a lowered operative position engaging the top of the can.

5. A self-lathering shaver comprising an aerosol can containing lather producing ingredients and having a tilt-to-dispense valve assembly including a projecting valve stem formed with an axial bore through which the lather is dispensed when the valve stem is tilted, a shavmg head mounted on said valve stem for movement upon application of sideward pressure on the shaving head whereby the valve stem is tilted to open the valve. 

1. A self-lathering shaver comprising an aerosol can containing lather producing ingredients and having a tilt-to-dispense valve assembly including a projecting valve stem formed with an axial bore through which the lather is dispensed when the valve stem is tilted, a shaving head mounted on said valve stem for movement therewith, said shaving head having a razor blade and safety guard surface for a cutting edge of the blade, and passageway means formed in said shaving head communicating with said valve stem bore and having an elongated opening located beneath said blade cutting edge, said can serving as a handle for manipulating the shaving head and for pressing said safety guard surface against a shaving surface to tilt said valve stem and release lather from the can for delivery through said passageway means and said elongated opening to the shaving surface.
 2. The self-lathering shaver defined in claim 1 including means coacting between said shaving head and can for selectively immobilizing said valve stem to prevent the accidental dispensing of lather.
 3. The self-lathering shaver defined in claim 2 in which said immobilizing means is a removable shim inserted onto the valve stem between the shaving head and the top of said can.
 4. The self-lathering shaver defined in claim 2 in which said immobilizing means is a collar carried by said shaving head movable from a raised inoperative position to a lowered operative position engaging the top of the can.
 5. A self-lathering shaver comprising an aerosol can containing lather producing ingredients and having a tilt-to-dispense valve assembly including a projecting valve stem formed with an axial bore through which the lather is dispensed when the valve stem is tilted, a shaving head mounted on said valve stem for movement therewith, said shaving head having passageway means communicating with said valve stem bore and terminating in an opening for delivering the lather from the can upon application of sideward pressure on the shaving head whereby the valve stem is tilted to open the valve. 